Which hammock is more likely to break when sat upon: one that is stretched tightly, or one that sags more?

A tightly stretched hammock is more likely to break when sat upon due to the increased tension placed on the material. When the hammock is taut, it has a higher tension force acting on it when weight is applied. This tension is a result of the weight of the person causing the hammock to pull against its supports with greater force.

In contrast, a sagging hammock experiences less tension because the weight of the person is distributed over a larger area of the material, and gravity acts more directly downward, reducing the pulling effect on the hammock’s supports. This distribution of weight means that the forces exerted on the hammock are lower, lowering the overall stress on the material and thus making it less likely to break.

Therefore, the tightly stretched hammock reaches a critical stress threshold more quickly when weight is applied, increasing the likelihood of failure compared to a sagging hammock.